Officials have determined the Titan submersible experienced a “catastrophic implosion” when it submerged to view the Titanic wreckage, killing all five passengers aboard.
On Thursday (22 June), the US Coast Guard announced that they found several parts of the Titan in a “debris field” approximately 1600 feet from the bow of the Titanic at the bottom of the sea floor.
OceanGate Expeditions founder and CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were all aboard the Titan.
In a statement, OceanGate Inc said: “Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.”
It is unclear when or where the Titan imploded though the Coast Guard said sonar buoys would have likely picked up the sound if they had been in place.
The Titan submerged on Sunday morning but lost contact with its surface ship about an hour and 45 minutes into its submerge.
